A cross-reference of related applications are provided at the end of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments section of the present application.
The present invention relates to communication between users in diverse communication systems, and more particularly, to providing a broadband communication system including an Internet Protocol Telephony Network and public switched telephone network and to providing call waiting functionality in such a system.
Present day telephony voice networks have a network built around circuit switches, end offices, a toll network, tandem switches, and twisted pair wires. These voice networks are referred to as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or plain old telephone service (POTS). Due to bandwidth limitations of plain old telephone service (POTS), there is an inherent inability to efficiently integrate multiple types of media such as telephony, data communication for personal computers (PC), and television (TV) broadcasts. Accordingly, a new broadband architecture is required. This new architecture gives rise to a new array of user services.
In current PSTN systems call waiting services are limited to being notified of one incoming call at a time and placing one call at a time on hold, while communicating with a party on another call. More specifically, when a user is engaged in a call and a second call arrives, the called party can xe2x80x9ctogglexe2x80x9d or switch back and forth between two calls by depressing the flash button or hook switch on their telephone. However, such systems only permit the user to toggle between two calls because of the circuit-switched nature of a PSTN system. Currently, a PSTN system with call waiting requires a completed circuit at least to the central office. A reason for this limitation is that each call requires its own set of allocated resources while placed in a waiting state. Since resources are expensive, conventional systems do not provide for multiple calls in a waiting state. As a result, there is a limit on the number of calls that may be simultaneously waiting.
Due to this limitation, when a third incoming call comes in for the party involved in two other calls, the PSTN called party cannot toggle to the third incoming call. Instead, a busy signal is returned to the third caller or the call is routed to a voice answering system. At no time during the call is the called party apprised of the existence of the call. Thus, there is a need to expand the functionality of the call waiting service to provide the ability to alert the users of additional incoming calls and allow the user the opportunity to answer multiple incoming calls by providing a call waiting queue.
Aspects of the invention include to providing broadband access capabilities or enhanced services for use in conjunction with a packetized network such as an Internet Protocol (IP) based system infrastructure.
Other aspects of the invention include providing one or more of the following either individually, or in any combination or subcombination:
a new broadband architecture;
broadband network capabilities, including local access; and
enhanced services for use in conjunction with a packetized network such as an Internet Protocol (IP) based system infrastructure.
The present invention is directed to providing call queuing in a packetized communication system where an unlimited number of calls to a subscriber may be simultaneously handled. More significantly, the present invention overcomes the shortcomings of existing systems described above by expanding the scope of traditional, PSTN call waiting services by allowing a subscriber to be on one call and receive and place in a call queue, multiple calls in one or more communication formats, such as voice telephone, facsimile transmission, data transfer or otherwise.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a communications management methodology that allows for multiple calls to a subscriber to simultaneously be placed on a call waiting queue. Another object of the present invention is to provide call waiting services for incoming calls of different communication service types. Hence, according to the present invention a subscriber may be engaged in a voice telephone call and receive a call waiting notification for an incoming facsimile, a data transfer, or other communication service type. Another aspect of the present invention is to allow a subscriber to answer any one of multiple calls on the call waiting queue.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a communications device at the subscriber""s premises with identification information regarding waiting calls. Such information may include, but is not restricted to, caller identification information, service type identification information, and call waiting duration. This type of information can allow a subscriber to more effectively prioritize and manage their incoming calls. In addition, the subscriber may be able to use another communications device or method available at the subscriber""s premises to communicate with the waiting party.
In a further aspect of the present invention, an IP telephony user may access calls on the call waiting queue by entering a feature code from a terminal such as a POTS telephone. The user would thus not need to upgrade to a telephone that has a built-in call waiting feature in order to switch between calls on the queue.
Although the invention has been defined using the appended claims, these claims are exemplary and limiting to the extent that the invention is meant to include one or more elements from the apparatus and methods described herein and in the applications incorporated by reference in any combination or subcombination. Accordingly, there are any number of alternative combinations for defining the invention, which incorporate one or more elements from the specification (including the drawings, claims, and applications incorporated by reference) in any combinations or subcombinations.